The New Girl at School
by My-Idol-You-Chan
Summary: Life had become a bit bleak for Riko Sakurauchi, but when a new student arrives after Winter break, things turn around in a way that she couldn't be happier about.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Otonokizaka High School, the school known for being the birth place of legendary idol group μ's. Some time had passed since the group had taken their leave, and, though they were gone, the school continued to be a bustling hub of activity for students of all kinds. One such was a second year by the name of Riko Sakurauchi. A relatively unassuming girl, she was a bit shy but also well-liked, and was quite good at playing the piano. Though it was only her second year, Riko was beginning to get a bit bored by her school life; there was nothing wrong with her, she had simply gotten herself into a bit of a mental rut. She'd tried doing things to… spice up life, like hanging out with her friends often or taking long walks through the streets of Akiba, but nothing did much to help, so she just resigned herself back into her routine.

Winter break had just ended and the unfortunate necessity that is school was back in session. The first day back, Riko had gotten to school a bit early, as she had become accustomed to doing. The peacefulness of the quiet classroom gave her some time to think and from her seat by the window, she could look out into the courtyard and see the trees blooming, or rather, where they would be blooming. With nothing in particular on her mind, Riko began absentmindedly playing through some of her piano pieces in her head, until something caught her eye. The something in question was a brown mass moving through the corner of her vision in the courtyard. Upon closer inspection, she saw that the brown mass was in fact hair and that hair was attached to an unfamiliar head. When you sit near a window, you somewhat unintentionally begin to recognize the faces of everyone in the school as they pass through their days, and in the months she'd spent staring out her window, Riko had never seen this girl before. Though she couldn't get the best look at her, the girl seemed a bit lost, and Riko thought she saw a pair of glasses on her face. She was wearing the Otonokizaka uniform, and from the color alone Riko could tell that she was, _A first year student huh? I wonder what her story is._ Before Riko could ponder the thought too much, the first bell rang and students began filing into the classrooms.

Once everyone was in their seats, the teacher stood up at her podium in the front. "Ok class, I hope you all had a good winter break. I know this is a bit sudden, but we have a student transferring in today, please give her a warm welcome." At this prompting, the door to the classroom opened up and who stepped in but the student that Riko had seen earlier. From her closer point of view, Riko could now get a look at her and see more than just that she had glasses. Though she'd seemed a little nervous and lost a few minutes ago, the mysterious girl standing in the classroom seemed completely calm. She had a confident stride, a very pretty face, and… no glasses. Riko could have sworn she saw a pair of frames on her face earlier, but now, they were nowhere to be found. "Hi everyone! My name is You Watanabe and I just got into town this week. My dad is a sailor and someday I hope to follow in his footsteps. I hope we can all get along! Yousoro!" When she said the last word, she winked and gave a little salute with it. For unexplainable reasons, Riko's heart was suddenly struck with an emotion she'd never felt before, but it was warm and pleasant. The rest of the class seemed to have similar sentiments as well, as a dull roar had erupted in the classroom. The teacher clapped her hands and reigned back in the rowdy crowd. "Alright alright everyone, you can talk more about Mrs. Watanabe later, but she's going to need someone to help show her around later, do I have any volunteers?" Though she had never been one to do it before, Riko wanted to get closer to this student, she wanted more of the feeling she'd just experienced it. _I can do this! Be confident Riko, you can do this!_ Raising her hand, she nervously began volunteering herself. "I could do it tea-" "I'll do it!" "No, I'll do it!" Riko was swiftly, and quite loudly, interrupted by multiple other girls in the class. You had seen Riko raise her hand first, but she was startled by the sudden uproar in front of her. The teacher, much to Riko's disappointment, chose one of the louder students to be You's guide and promptly assigned You a seat towards the back of the class. Riko felt a bit dejected, but when You was moving to her spot, she briefly locked eyes with her and flashed a big smile, setting Riko's heart aflutter again. She didn't know how she'd do it, but Riko became determined to know more about this girl; something was beginning to change inside of her and while she didn't know what the change would bring, she was surprisingly anxious to find out.

Sometimes, Riko felt like she was living a scene right out of a manga. For most of the class, any second that wasn't being spent working on classwork was spent hovering around You's desk, berating her with questions about her past and her hobbies; Riko did not partake in the mobbing as she didn't think it was the… nicest thing that the class could be doing. You seemed a bit startled by everything, and when everyone left, Riko could see that she was incredibly worn out. The day went on like this and by the end of the day You looked as though she'd had enough, but she still put on a smile when people talked to her. Riko was going to try talking to her when school ended, but apparently the student guide had snatched her up almost instantly when the last bell rung. With the mental and emotional rollercoaster that had been Riko's brain all day, she too felt a bit worn out, so she retreated to the solace of the music room for rejuvenation.

The sky today was dark gray and filled with clouds that seemed ready to spout rain or snow at the flip of a switch. Riko, as she positioned herself on the piano bench, thought they were quite beautiful in a melancholy sort of way. She was going to place sheet music on the stand but decided against it; today, it was just going to be her and the piano, a conversation of emotions between two friends. Closing her eyes, she hopped off her emotional rollercoaster and just began to play. Were anyone to walk into that music room they would be awestruck by what they heard: a symphony of sounds that simultaneously had no order but flowed together in a perfect way. She had no idea how long she played, but she was so absorbed in the music that she didn't really care. Eventually, her melody came to an end and Riko felt renewed, like she'd just woken up from a long nap. She was enjoying the moments after her performance still deep in thought but suddenly, she heard clapping.

Opening her eyes, she saw two people sitting nearby, evidently having been at least a temporary audience to her playing: it was You and her guide. "We were finishing our tour and heard music, so we decided to listen in, I hope you don't mind." The guide explained, answering Riko's question before she even asked it. "A-ah, no, that's fine, I was just doing a bit of… warming up." Riko had most certainly not been warming up, but it was a much easier explanation. "Wow, that was really good! Your playing is beautiful!" You had stepped forward and was now standing in front of Riko. "I saw you in class but I didn't get the chance to meet you, I'm You Watanabe, but you can just call me You." She said this with a smile on her face and extended her hand towards Riko. "I-I'm Riko, Riko Sakurauchi, it's nice to meet you." Riko returned the gesture and was surprised by how soft and warm You's hands were. "I've got to be getting home soon, but would it possibly be okay if I came back and hear you play again? I really enjoyed it." Riko was surprised by the comment but was also extremely happy. "Please do!" The two exchanged smiles once more as the pair made their way out of the room. The feeling from earlier had creeped back and Riko could feel herself blushing profusely. _Oh my gosh. D-did she like it? Does she like me? Was she just saying that to be nice?_ Her mind became overwhelmed with these thoughts, worries and excitements equally scattered about. Her heart too frantic to continue well, Riko decided to just go home and collect her thoughts for the day.

For the first time in a long while, Riko was genuinely excited to go to school. Unlike some people who would have to greatly adjust their schedules to try and see someone early at school, she had the benefit of already being an early riser. On the ever adventurous trek from her home to school, Riko began composing something other than music: a game plan. She'd made plenty of friends before, but something was different this time and this something did not like making it easy for her. _How should I approach her? I don't even know what she likes… Is she into sports? Music? Nothing?_ Eventually, she settled on the idea of inviting You to eat lunch with her, a very bold step for a heart. She thought about everything she was going to do, from what she would say to how she would say it, all the way till she reached her seat. Partaking of said seat, she took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down, a task she wished were easier. As she noted from her walk in, You hadn't arrived at school yet, but Riko was determined to be ready for when she did. To pass time, Riko was doing whatever she could to try and keep her mind off her goal, reading and studying for the day being the primary means of that. The clock kept ticking; no You. It was now getting dangerously close to the final bell and You still hadn't shown up; seeds of worry began to spout in Riko. _Is she ok? Did something happen? Did I scare her off yesterday? Oh I hope she is ok._ In an exquisitely timely manner, You managed to run into the class mere seconds before the bell went off. Riko was delighted to see that she seemed to be doing well, but was also slightly disheartened that now her plan wouldn't work, at least not now. Resigning herself to try again during break, she focused her mind to schoolwork in an effort to make time go by by even a second faster.

The ever elusive break finally came and Riko was prepared to make her move. Well, she was ready, until she looked and saw that, once again, You had unintentionally attracted a huge crowd. _I guess everyone else has the same idea as me huh?_ Riko felt a bit dejected that she had missed two opportunities to talk to You, and since lunch would almost certainly be the same story, she resolved herself to try her plan tomorrow. The time between lunch and break passed much slower than Riko wanted, and when the meal finally arrived she couldn't help but release a big sigh. The only place she could think to be alone, she began taking her lunch to the music room to get away from the hectic classroom. However, on her way out, she was stopped by someone quickly grabbing her hand, and when she looked, the owner of that hand was none other than You. "Ah, I'm sorry everyone, but Riko-chan already promised to eat lunch with me!" Upon saying this, You got up and put her arm around Riko's shoulders in a very friendly manner, but the action planted You's mouth by the redhead's ears. The words "Please help me!" came in a whisper and Riko slowly put together what was going on. The desk You had previously been occupying was, once again, surrounded by classmates, but this time they were all holding lunch sacks, and with You at her shoulder, they were all giving menacing gazes to Riko. Not knowing what else to do, she put on a forced smiled and managed to get out a very unconvincing, "Y-yes, we're going to lunch, c-come on You-chan!" At this juncture the pair waddled their way out of the room, the harsh gazes still bearing down on them. Not knowing where else to go, Riko went where her mind had already decided upon: music room.

In the most twisted way she could have thought possible, Riko somehow ended up getting her wish. The two finally reached the promised land of the music room and were both exhausted (they ran there merely because of the confusion and adrenaline of the situation). Riko wearily moved herself to one of the benches in the room while You elected to simply slide down and take up residence on the door. After taking a moment to catch her breath, You looked over at her unintentional companion. "I'm sorry for draggin you into this, those girls will just not let up… You don't have to eat lunch with me if you don't want to, I can go somewhere else. You looked like you were going to eat by yourself, sorry about that again…" The irony of the situation and its circumstances finally caught up to Riko and a laugh escaped from her mouth. "No, no it's fine. They certainly do seem to be a bit pushy. I'm glad for the company, I'd like it if you stayed!" She hadn't exactly intended to say that last bit, but the smile You gave made her glad she did. Much to her surprise, You pulled out a pair of black framed glasses and put them on her face as she prepared her meal. _So she DOES wear them! She looks… really pretty… I wonder why she doesn't wear them more?_ Taking a bit of a leap of faith (this day was already crazy, a little more bravery couldn't make it worse could it?), she took her lunch and sat down next to the brown haired girl.

A few minutes passed in silence (Riko was too nervous to start a conversation), but eventually You asked her about what she did for fun, how she got into the piano, things like that. They both continued this slightly investigational rapport throughout the whole time and both had many laughs from stories of the other. Riko learned that You was a swimmer and was probably planning on joining the swim team when they start accepting members, as well as many other interesting tidbits. Before they knew it, lunch was almost over and they had to, unfortunately, go back to class. Dusting themselves off, the two were left facing each other. Suddenly, You seemed to have an idea. "Riko-chan, do you have a phone?" The question caught her very much by surprise. "Y-yes, I do, but I don't use it much…" You began beaming. "I just got a phone when I moved here and haven't gotten to use it yet, would you be the first number I get?" The words filled Riko with a mixture of awe and excitement, inciting a reciprocated beaming smile. "I'd love to be!" The exchange occurred and it was finally time to head back. Riko had thought they were going to walk back together but You started off in a different direction. "I have to grab something real fast, I'll see you in the classroom. Thanks again Riko-chan!" You broke into a light jog down the hallway, leaving Riko to stand there in her own thoughts. The walk back to the classroom was spent happily reflecting back on what had just happened. Hoping that today was not a single encounter, Riko felt a bit of a spring in her step, and she could feel her outlook on life beginning to brighten. Just like this morning, for the first time in a while, Riko was feeling a bit excited for the unknown that was her future, and she hoped that her new friend would play a big part in it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Over the next few months, Riko and You grew closer to each other. Eventually, the mass of students who had flocked You's desk lost their initial interest and for now, things were pretty normal. Nature had taken her adventure down the dark and dreary road and replaced it with days accompanied by sunshine, clouds, and the occasional cool breeze. From her elevated perch by the window, Riko was able to watch as the once barren trees slowly became populated with leaves again, a sight which always brought a smile to her face. Since it had gotten warmer, the spring and summer sports began their practicing and, much to her dismay, Riko got to see less and less of You. The time where they could previously sit together and talk or walk the town was now taken up by You's swimming practice. She was happy that the swimmer girl could do what she loved, but she also selfishly wished that she could have You all to herself. Occasionally, Riko would walk by the pool and watch the practice for a while. Everyone on the team was talented at the sport, but of course, You topped them all; whenever she went for a dive, everyone else stopped and stared. Watching those dives truly was a thing of beauty. The form, the splash (Riko didn't know if that was a category, but she thought it was great anyways), it all seemed to flow together with the grace of a master.

Though she didn't realize it, passing by those practices became a habit for Riko. Even if she wasn't directly with You, it still felt like she was getting a bit closer to her. Usually You didn't noticed her entranced spectator, but when she did, she always put on a big smile, causing Riko to blush before returning the gesture. You was actually feeling sad that swimming practice was so consuming as well; Riko had become such a big part of her life and she felt like she was missing something.

You had never left home before, so when her parents told her that she had to go to school in Tokyo, she, understandably, was a bit crushed. Her friends, the swim team she'd been on before, all of that would be gone, at least for a while. More than she'd expected, her new home city was crazy: all the different shops (she really liked the costume ones but was too preoccupied to go in), the massive buildings, experiencing it by herself… it was just overwhelming. She was able, slowly, to come to terms with the sprawling city, but she promptly found a new set of anxieties when school came. _Do I have everything? What if everyone's smarter than me? What if I make no friends?_ When the long awaited (and dreaded) day came, You got there early so she could explore and find her way around. Though it took some time, she got the general layout and finally found her homeroom. She met her teacher and was instructed to just wait around until the bell rang so she could be introduced. Thinking of no other place for calm waiting, You opted to wait in the bathroom. She sat there for a while, and the pressure of everything almost made her break down, but she managed to keep it together, because that's who she was (or at least, wanted to be). The bell rang and she knew it would be time for her introduction soon. She'd been wearing her glasses up to that point but decided to take them off, maybe it might help her to have a more confident look. Putting on the bravest face she could muster, she marched inside to greet part of her future.

Her introduction went as well as she could've hoped for but she was NOT ready for the class's enthusiasm. In a way, it made her happy that everyone was excited to meet her, but really, what caught her attention was the girl by the window. Scarlet red hair and a somewhat lonesome air about her, something resonated within You about her. She hoped to get to talk to this girl, but, much to her disappointment, the girl never approached her. During the reprieves she got from the mob of students bombarding her with questions, You would steal glances at the girl, enchanted by her. At the end of the school day she was going to try and talk to the girl, but the student guide was _very_ eager to show You around. The guide took her all around the school, from the cafeteria to the roof, and by the end You felt even more tired than before. The tour was about to be wrapped up but, faintly, You could hear piano music, some beautiful melody which she just had to know the source of. They navigated to the music room and the symphony became louder. When they finally opened the door, You felt like she'd just walked into a picture. Said picture included the mysterious redhead from earlier at the piano, her eyes closed but looking completely engaged in the music, and a sky that was dark and slightly bleak, but You thought looked very pretty. It seemed the pianist hadn't heard them enter and she continued to craft her melody. You was enjoying it so much that she felt like she could have listened to it for hours, but, as with all things, it eventually came to an end. In retrospect, the end of that song actually turned out being a beginning for both of them, as You finally got to meet that wonderfully mysterious girl. The conversation which ensued as Riko got off the piano, while short, made You extremely happy, she kept thinking that there was just something about that girl which kept setting her heart aflutter.

The following day, You hoped she would have more time to talk with Riko, but the rest of the class seemed opposed to that idea. The continuous swarming occurred again and by lunch, she had really had enough. When everyone was prodding her to go to lunch with them, she was only barely able to resist flat out rejecting them. When she saw Riko heading towards the door, an odd and unlikely plan formed in her head, but a plan with 1% success was leagues better than just accepting the alternative. Riko's improvisation was a blessing and, before they knew it, they were at the music room. When she returned to her senses, You realized the situation she was in and, though it pained her to think about it, Riko might not want to spend her lunch with her. Mustering up a bit of sad courage, she willingly offered to go, but hearing Riko accept the offer of lunch brought joy back into the pair of blue eyes. She had an amazing time while they were eating and, much like Riko, was upset that the burden of classes still loomed. When they went into the hallway and parted ways, You actually didn't have anything that she needed to get, she just wanted to be able to skip and frolic in her happiness for a moment. She didn't know if Riko felt the same at all, but she really hoped that they'd be able to have more lunches together.

With the start of the swimming season, You was glad for the nostalgic feelings of the water, but losing her time with Riko was a surprisingly big blow. Whenever she saw Riko watching the swim practice, she elated knowing that Riko was taking at least a little time out of her day to look at her. The season began coming to a close, and all that was left was the big regional tournament. Because of her talent, You was able to qualify in the tournament easily, and, when the tournament actually came, she almost breezed through to the diving finals. The night before the final day, You was laying on her bed, contemplating life and thinking all the deep thoughts of a high school girl, when suddenly, a thought popped into her head. The execution of said thought required a bit of calming down before it could be done, but once she was ready, she reached for her phone and began dialing. "Hello?" _Yes, she picked up!_ "Ah, hi Riko-chan, it's You." "Y-You-chan, hi! What's going on? Is something wrong?" "No, nothin's wrong, it's just… so the last day of the regional swimming tournament is tomorrow and I'm in the final and I was just wonderin… if you… maybe wanted to come watch…" There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment, making You prepare herself for rejection (the silence was actually Riko blushing and going through a small, excited dance routine). "I would love to!" Relief and excitement simultaneously washed over You. "Great! I'll meet you outside the arena at 11, okay?" After a quick confirmation, they both hung up and, as if mirrors of each other, were both ecstatic. Wanting tomorrow to come as quickly as possible, You decided to head to bed shortly after.

The fated day arrived and this time, Mother Nature was feeling bright and warm. After much internal debate, You decided to wear a hoodie and pair of shorts, it was comfortable and hid her swimsuit pretty easily. You hurried over to the sports center but upon arrival, Riko was nowhere to be found. Confused, You checked her watch and realized that, in her massive excitement, she had arrived 20 minutes early. Slightly embarrassed by her eagerness, she was preparing to sit and wait for a while but, to her surprise, Riko showed up too. "R-Riko-chan? What're you doing here so early?" Riko wore a similar look of surprise on her face. "You-chan? I should ask you the same thing!" Rubbing the back of her neck, You let out a small bit of laughter and explained her reasoning, and Riko couldn't help but join in the laughter. With the hysterics aside, the two went inside and found a place where Riko could see the diving section well. Riko was a bit confused when You didn't get up and leave shortly after they sat down, so she asked what time her event was. "A-ah, that? It was supposed to be at 12, but they pushed it back to 1, whoops, ehehe…" You tried to keep a straight face while saying it, but that was a bit difficult: it was a straight up lie, the event was always at 1, You just wanted time to be with Riko. In a counter to You's "accidental time change", Riko had actually packed a small lunch because she didn't know if/when the two of them would eat.

"Woooah, did you make these yourself?" You said, admiring the finely crafted sandwiches and rice. Unused to being complimented so, Riko turned a bit red. "Y-yes, my mom taught me lots about how to cook." Snatching one up, You took a bite out of one of the sandwiches and was overcome by the myriad of flavors that came from it. "This ish dewishiosh!" was what managed to come out of You's full mouth, but even the jumbled, and utterly ungraceful, message was enough to make the whole day worth it for Riko. "Do you do any cooking You-chan?" Without stopping her feast, You came back with an answer. "A bit, yesh. I make a mean Youkishouba, I'll have to make it for you shometime!" Riko was delighted by the offer, but also couldn't help but laugh at the vigor that You was putting into decimating the meal. _I guess she gets really hyped up before a competition huh…_ With the carnage finally over, You leaned back and let out a long sigh. "Man, that really hit the spot. Your cookin is awesome Riko-chan! You should do it more often." "T-thank you…"

Though she didn't expect to be, You was feeling very tired, a mixture of a food-coma and the adrenaline from earlier dying down. "I… I feel really bad for doing this Riko-chan, but would you mind if I took a little nap before my event?" _Ah, I see…_ "Yes, of course, that's fine, I want you to be able to do your best." While You was in the process of thanking Riko for her consideration, a random memory came to the forefront of Riko's mind, a memory from one of her… special manga she'd read and, in a fit of bravery, she decided to see if it would work. "Y-Y-Y-You-chan… i-i-if you wanted, you could lay your head on my l-l-lap…" She couldn't look at You while she was saying that, it was simply too embarrassing. This feeling turned out to be mutual, and while You NEVER thought that Riko would say that, far be it from her to pass up the offer. "O-ok… thanks… just wake me up by 12:30." Her heart beating a 1,000 miles an hour, You slowly lay her torso sideways and gently landed her head on Riko's lap. _It's really warm and soft… She smells good too…_ As much as she truly wished to savor her present position for all it was worth, she wasn't lying about being tired, so she closed her eyes and let her mind wander, with most thoughts staying with the sensations of the lap. Much like You, Riko's heart was also beating at probably unhealthy speeds. She hadn't expected her to agree and now had no idea what to do once the head was in the lap (the manga rarely covered that far). A few minutes had passed and Riko still had her arms awkwardly hovering in the air above You, and they were getting a bit tired. _Forgive me You-chan!_ Riko slowly lowered her arms to ease their pain: her left hand ended up above You's head, while her right was resting on You's shoulder. The sensation of Riko's hand sent unintentional shivers down You's body, but she still remained asleep.

After the initial shock died down, You's head was actually quite comforting to Riko, it felt… right. You had started softly snoring, a gentle breathing barely audible in the low roar of the sports complex; to Riko, she seemed more like a child than a swimmer going for an event soon. Unable to resist the temptation, she gently brushed You's hair out of her face, allowing her to see the girl's features. So seemed so… peaceful, and very pretty. Reflecting on how lucky she was to be having this moment, Riko smiled and, for no real reason, began brushing her hand though the soft, brown hair. Because she wasn't looking, Riko missed the slight smile that formed on You's unconscious face from the gesture. Time, unfortunately, is not the sentimental type. Before she knew it, it was nearing 12:30 and Riko's resting companion required waking. In a gesture a mother might use with a child, she gently started rocking You's shoulder, and in a low voice said, "You-chan, it's time to get up." A few moments of groans and stretching later, You was sitting up, rubbing her eyes and coming back to reality. "Mm, t-thanks for that Riko-chan, I feel much better now." Suddenly full of energy, You jumped up and began bouncing a bit. "Alright, I'm gonna go get ready, be sure to watch my dive ok?" With a flash of a smile, and without waiting for a response, she ran down from the bleachers into the locker room.

Riko passed the time waiting for the event to start by simply sitting there, happily thinking about what a lovely day it was. First You profusely enjoyed her meal, then rested on her? She didn't think it could really get any better. A buzzer redirected her attention, and looking towards the diving section she could see the competitors lining up, her compatriot among them. You scanned the crowd and managed to find Riko, giving her a smile and salute when she did. Riko waved back and got ready to cheer. The next few minutes were a mix of tension and excitement. You was the last in the lineup, so Riko got slightly worried seeing how well everyone else was doing; she knew You was good, but these people were stiff competition. You finally arrived to the board and, after a moment of deep breathing, she leapt, gracefully flipping through the air into a smooth dive. The crowd went wild and, though Riko still didn't know how scoring worked, she assumed that You had done something very good. Judging time arrived, a period of silence with it as the crowd awaited to hear who would come out victorious. "And the winner of the regional diving tournament is… You Watanabe!" A roar erupted through the crowd, and Riko was certainly the loudest. She locked eyes with You, and the girls ran towards each other, embracing in a big hug. "You did it You-chan! Congratulations!" The swimmer beamed at her friend and hugged her even more. It took a moment, but they soon both realized that Riko's were clothes now soaked since, naturally, You's suit was drenched. "Ah, sorry, sorry Riko-chan! Um, I got it! Give me a few minutes, but wait for me back in the stands." Laughing, Riko agreed and left You to do her business.

Upon her return, You, apologetic that she'd wrecked Riko's clothes, suggested that they go back to her apartment so Riko could change. "B-but I didn't bring a change of clothes…" "It's fine, if you're alright wearin some of my stuff!" The thought sounded terribly… intimate to Riko, but she hesitantly agreed. The place where You had been living this whole time was an apartment in downtown; it was relatively small, but had come pre-furnished, as had been the request of her parents. Riko was quite surprised when she saw it, and was even more shocked when she learned You had been here all by herself. "Just wait in here, I'll be right back." You moved towards one of the rooms in the back and left the redhead alone in the living room/kitchen area. _It's pretty well kept for only one person doing all the work…_ Upon seeing the plethora of snacks present in the kitchen, You's hunger earlier suddenly made much more sense. The only real place for sitting in the room was a couch positioned against the wall, so she sat down on it, the discomfort of a wet dress still slightly irking her. She'd barely sat down when You came back into the room. She had evidently changed, as she was now wearing a tee, a different, more comfortable looking pair of shorts and… _that pair of glasses._ The look fit her incredibly well and with the addition of those glasses, Riko couldn't help but marvel at how pretty she looked. "I laid out some stuff on my bed, you can choose anythin you like. It's the room on the left, take all the time you need!"

The choices which were presented to her were… staggering, it almost seemed as if You had set out her entire wardrobe for display. T-shirts, skirts, dresses ( _You wears dresses?_ ), shorts, pretty much anything that Riko could've asked for was there. Her first inclination was to just pick what looked most comfortable, but having seen how good You looked, she became very tempted to try and find something perfect. This process ended up becoming a small fashion show in which Riko tried on many of clothes that were there; they all actually ended up fitting extremely well, much to her surprise. When she was in the middle of changing between outfits, she suddenly smelled something, something acrid, something… _BURNING?_ She rushed out of the room to check and make sure that, hopefully, nothing had happened. "You-chan, are you alright? Is everything okay?! I smelled something burning…" When she finally came into the main area, well, nothing was amiss, You was simply at the stove. "A-ah, ya, sorry I was making dinner and the fan in here isn't the best, ehehe… But, um…" she turned a bit red and looked away, "y-you might wanna p-put some clothes on before we eat…" Looking down, Riko realized that she'd come bursting out of the room in nothing but her underwear. Her face, and maybe even her whole body, turned the color of her hair, and she bolted back into the room with a speed she didn't even know she had. If the neighbors could have heard the internal screams that resonated from both of them, the police most certainly would have been called. _She's going to think I'm horrible isn't she? Oh how can I look at her again, she'll never look at me the same! I can't be in a relationship now, I'm ruined…_ Riko had slumped herself against the door and still couldn't get over what she'd just done.

You could not believe what she's just been able to witness. Her heart was on fire and her whole body felt its heat. _She was… really pretty… Oh man, is it bad to have these thoughts?_ Her existential crisis was cut short by the smell of the food actually almost burning, so she had to quickly readjust her attention to make sure she didn't burn the house down. She had finished making some of her signature Youkisoba and had laid it out on the table in front of the couch when Riko finally, with her head still down, came out. After much… deliberation, the outfit of choice ended up being what she would have gone with initially, had she not thought the "Riko private fashion show" a good idea: a long sleeved shirt and some sweatpants. While not as… enticing as her previous look, You was still taken with how cute she looked. Still not looking her in the eyes, Riko slightly waddled her way over and sat on the other side of the couch; evidently, the previous encounter had spooked her pretty deeply. She couldn't think of any amazing methods, but You wanted to lighten the mood somehow, so she grabbed a fork full of the noodle dish. "H-here Riko-chan, this is the Youkisoba I was talking about earlier. You should try some, it's really good, and not burnt!" (As if not being burnt is some great accomplishment…) Finally sneaking a tiny peek at You's face, Riko accepted the given fork and took a bite; it was now her turn to be overwhelmed by flavors. The noodles were incredibly good and even in her current state she couldn't resist being amazed by it. "This is really good You-chan!" The food had at least temporarily removed the slump she was in, and she was able to look her in the eyes. You was really happy, both that Riko was somewhat normal again and that she'd enjoyed the dish, so naturally she threw a big smile.

Feeling somewhat back to normal, Riko finally felt it was an apt time to ask the question that had been on her mind for a long while now. "Say, You-chan, why don't you wear your glasses more often?" "Ehehe… I just don't think that they look that good on me, they make me look weird, so I just wear contacts." Upset with the travesty that was this opinion, Riko had to aggressively oppose. "No, I think they look really good! You should wear them more often!" Hearing that made You feel very fuzzy on the inside and… now she wanted to ask something that had been on her mind as well. "H-hey, -uU-um, Riko-chan…. D-do you like me?" The question came out of seemingly nowhere, but Riko easily knew her answer. "Of course You-chan, I think you're amazing." "N-no, I mean… L-LIKE like…"

Feelings and emotions are truly the blessing and curse of being human. We all know how they feel, but interpreting them and showing them to others, we sometimes fear that because it can lead to the unknown. Riko had obviously thought about You's question before, but she was afraid that if she gave an honest answer, You might be scared off, and that was the scariest thing in the world. In this moment, she was taken back to the first time she saw You, the first time she'd met her. When the new girl had walked into class, Riko had felt something, something foreign but pleasant, and that something was the same thing she was feeling now but this time, she had a pretty good idea of what it was. You was still expectantly awaiting a response, but Riko's answer came in a form she hadn't envisioned. Closing her eyes, Riko leaned in and planted a small kiss on You's lips. It was a small, almost token gesture, but it came from the heart and, for both of them, was truly the perfect response. "Does that answer your question?" You smiled through a red face and gently placed her hand on Riko's. "Yes, yes it does. Thank you Riko-chan." The two sat in silence for a bit, the warmth of their hands being the only reminder that no, they were not dreaming. Tonight, if she was given an inch, You was going to try to take a mile. "W-would you want to stay over here tonight Riko-chan? I haven't had anyone over here before and… well I'd kind of like you to be the first one…" A slight squeeze of Riko's hand was a comforting accompaniment to her response. "I'd be happy to You-chan."

The happiness in the air was almost palpable, and the two truly couldn't wish for anything for at the moment. The silence kept on for a bit longer until You broke the silence. "So, would you like to eat a bit more? I can heat up cause it's probably a bit cold…" Laughing at the abrupt, but very characteristic, break in the mood, Riko agreed. That night would be one they always remember as the time they learned how they truly felt and how good those feelings could be. When it finally came to the point in the season when You was going to return home, she found herself feeling surprisingly sad. She should be feeling happy that she would be seeing her old friends and her family, but what she had found in Tokyo... now that was something that she truly never wanted to give up.


End file.
